KV Mechelen has opted to retain coach Fred Vanderbiest despite a difficult start to the Jupiler Pro League season that has left the club sitting last in the standings with just 3 op 21.
Leadership Backing Amid Winless Start
KV Mechelen opened the new campaign without a victory, collecting 3 op 21 to anchor the domestic table. Despite the disappointing results, management resisted calls for a coaching change. Tom Caluwé addressed the decision directly in a club-released video and an interview with Gazet van Antwerpen, explaining that a dismissal of Vanderbiest was never on the table.
“We want to be a club that is open to our supporters, especially when there is some unrest,” Caluwé stated. “I also indicated that for a part of the fans a different decision would have been logical, on the other hand I see what we do and where we can go.”
Internal Metrics and Squad Support
Club officials pointed to underlying performance metrics and backing from key squad members as justification for keeping Vanderbiest at the helm. According to internal evaluations and expected points models, Mechelen believes their performances warranted a higher return than the current points, estimating they deserved a seven-point tally.
Caluwé noted that despite supporter discontent stretching back to the previous season, senior players remained firmly behind him. “It is not that we have imposed a deadline and that it could stop then,” Caluwé said regarding the evaluation process. “It was important for us that we saw progress and that the group is behind it. We saw that in the matches against Anderlecht and Lommel. That is why I continue to believe that we are going to start picking up those much-needed points with Fred.”
Next Steps in the Jupiler Pro League
With the international break providing a window for tactical adjustments, Vanderbiest and his squad continue to prepare. The team aims to translate their expected metrics into actual results when domestic league fixtures resume, looking to climb away from the foot of the Jupiler Pro League standings.
